Sampling Activity at Route 66 State Park near Eureka, Missouri

In June 2012, at the request of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), EPA Region 7 conducted soil sampling at Route 66 State Park near Eureka, Mo. The sampling was part of an EPA Region 7 study to apply newly developed science to test for very small, or trace, amounts of dioxin in soil at the park, which is owned by MDNR.

Route 66 State Park was established by the State of Missouri in 1999 at the former town site of Times Beach, Mo., following a dioxin cleanup by EPA and MDNR. Dioxin had been introduced to the area's soil in the early 1970s when waste oil containing high levels of dioxin was sprayed on the streets of Times Beach as a means of dust control. During the 1990s cleanup, soils containing dioxin above 1,000 parts per trillion (ppt) were excavated and replaced with clean backfill.

The June 2012 soil sampling at the site used more advanced methods than those used as part of the 1990s cleanup of Times Beach, including EPA's new dioxin toxicity criterion, which was finalized in February 2012. After considering the new soil sampling data and new toxicity information for dioxin, EPA Region 7 concluded that the cleanup conducted in the 1990s at the park remains protective of human health and the park's current uses can continue.

A copy of the Route 66 State Park Site Reassessment Report, supporting data and other information about the sampling activity can be viewed and downloaded by clicking on the links below.